This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Israel deployed an Iron Dome air defence system to the United Arab Emirates early in the war with Iran, along with troops to operate it, according to Axios.
Since the start of the conflict, the UAE has been targeted by Iran more than any other country in the region. According to the Emirati Ministry of Defence, Iran fired around 563 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,200 drones at the country. Most were intercepted, though some struck military and civilian targets, prompting Abu Dhabi to seek assistance from allies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to send an Iron Dome battery, interceptors and “several dozen IDF operators” after a call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, Israeli officials told Axios.
A senior Israeli official said this was the first time Israel had sent an Iron Dome battery to another country, and the UAE became the first nation outside of the US and Israel to use the system. A second Israeli official said it “intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles.”
Israeli and Emirati officials say coordination has been close throughout the war, the first time the UAE has been in the line of fire from Iran. The Israeli Air Force also conducted strikes on short-range missiles in southern Iran before they could target the UAE and other Gulf countries.
One UAE-based official told the Jewish Chronicle that the support has changed opinions more favourably towards Israel, which normalised relations with the UAE in the 2020 Abraham Accords, but has since seen growing anti-Israel sentiment among the population in the wake of the Gaza war.
Tareq al-Otaiba, a former official at the UAE's national security council, wrote in an article for the Arab Gulf States Institute (AGSI) that Israel was among the countries that “have stepped up to provide real assistance to the UAE,” adding that “primarily, the United States and Israel have proved to be true allies by offering support through extensive military aid, intelligence sharing, and diplomatic backing.”
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